Tempe, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max on-site illumination
- 40 foot-candles at surface
- Full-cutoff fixture lumen cap
- none, up to 40 fc
- Non-cutoff filtered (white/opal) cap
- 1,700 lumens
- Non-cutoff non-filtered (clear/prismatic) cap
- 600 lumens
- Freestanding fixture height near homes
- 18 ft within 50 ft
- Mercury vapor fixtures
- prohibited citywide (§ 4-804)
Summary
Tempe's Zoning and Development Code caps on-site lighting at 40 foot-candles and classifies fixtures by cutoff type: full-cutoff fixtures can use any output up to that cap, while non-cutoff fixtures are limited to 1,700 or 600 lumens depending on lens material.
B.Illumination Levels The maximum illumination level for on-site lighting is forty (40) foot-candles as measured at surface based on light loss factor of sixty-eight percent (0.68) for metal halide lighting and seventy-two percent (0.72) for high pressure sodium lighting.C.5.Light fixture design:b.Outdoor light fixtures, which are full cutoff to direct all light below a horizontal plane through the bottom of the fixture and have no lens which drops below the fixture may use any illumination source, up to a maximum of forty (40) foot-candles, as provided in Section 4-803(B);c.Outdoor light fixtures, which have a lens or diffuser which is visible above the horizontal plane and constructed of white/opal glass, are considered non-cutoff and filtered and shall be limited to the light output no greater than one thousand seven hundred (1,700) lumens;d.Outdoor light fixtures, which have a lens or diffuser which is visible above the horizontal plane and constructed of clear or prismatic glass, are considered non-cutoff and non-filtered and shall be limited to the light output no greater than six hundred (600) lumens;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-803 of the Zoning and Development Code, Chapter 8 (Lighting), governs fixture design citywide. 72 for high-pressure sodium fixtures. Fixture design then splits into three classes under Section 4-803(C)(5): full-cutoff fixtures, which direct all light below a horizontal plane through the fixture's bottom with no lens dropping below it, may use any illumination source up to the 40 foot-candle cap. Non-cutoff fixtures with a lens visible above that horizontal plane are split further: white or opal glass lenses ('filtered') are capped at 1,700 lumens, while clear or prismatic glass lenses ('non-filtered') are capped at 600 lumens.
Freestanding fixture height is also tiered by proximity to residential zoning: 18 feet within 50 feet of a residential district, 25 feet between 50 and 150 feet, and 30 feet everywhere else. Every exterior lighting installation needs Community Development Director approval before installation, backed by a photometric plan under Section 4-802, and Section 4-804 separately bans installing mercury vapor fixtures outright.
Violations & Fines
Installing a fixture that exceeds the lumen or foot-candle caps for its cutoff classification, or a mercury vapor fixture, fails photometric plan review under Sections 4-802 through 4-804. The Community Development Director can withhold the building, electrical, or sign permit, and any post-permit substitution of fixtures or lamps must be resubmitted for approval before installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tempe require full cutoff outdoor light fixtures?
How tall can a parking lot light pole be near my Tempe house?
Are mercury vapor lights legal in Tempe?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
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